WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following after the Senate failed to reach the 60-vote threshold required to advance S. 1, For the People Act, a bill he cosponsored to protect and strengthen the right to vote: 

“In recent years, we’ve seen states across the country enacting restrictive and discriminatory voting laws in a clear effort to make it harder for voters to make their voices heard at the ballot box. It’s for this reason that I voted for this comprehensive voting rights bill. The bill would have expanded mail-in voting, increased early voting hours, strengthened the Voting Rights Act, created urgently needed federal standards to ensure no American is denied this fundamental right, and more. While the Commonwealth of Virginia has led the charge on voting rights by implementing many reforms found in this bill, too many states have refused to heed that call. We have an obligation to all those who risked their lives to protect this most fundamental of rights not to give up on this vital effort.”

Sen. Warner has been a strong advocate in defending the voting rights of Americans. Sen. Warner joined his colleagues in introducing legislation to protect local election officials from harassment and partisan pressure when overseeing elections. During the 2020 presidential election, Sen. Warner led all the Democrats on the Senate Rules Committee in calling for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Association of State Election Directors, and the National Association of Secretaries of State to work proactively to counter any attempts to suppress vulnerable and historically-disenfranchised voters during the COVID-19 crisis. Sen. Warner has also introduced bipartisan legislation – the Honest Ads Act – to help prevent foreign interference in elections and improve the transparency of online political advertisements.

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